Donald Trump expected to visit London in December 2019 for Nato summit

Donald Trump expected to visit London in December 2019 for Nato summit

Donald Trump is expected to return to the UK in December for a Nato summit.

The US president, who has repeatedly criticised the military alliance, would meet with heads of state in London, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday.

It would be Mr Trump’s second visit to Britain since his election, having jetted in amid swathes of protest last July.

Mr Stoltenberg said: “I am pleased to announce that allies have agreed that the next meeting of Nato heads of state and government will take place in London in December 2019.

“The meeting in London will be an opportunity for allied heads of state and government to address the security challenges we face now and in the future, and to ensure that Nato continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe.”

Nato said the meeting is foreseen as a summit of heads of state but it is up to individual nations to determine who to send.

Theresa May said she is “very pleased” the UK has been asked to host the leaders during the year of the alliance’s 70th anniversary.

“For 70 years Nato has been the cornerstone of our national security. But today’s challenges are very different from those we faced when the alliance established its first headquarters in London,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.

“The UK has played a central role throughout Nato’s history as it has adapted to deal with new and complex threats to our security.

“So, as we pay tribute to the service men and women who have worked so hard over so many years to keep us safe, December’s meeting is an important opportunity to determine the steps we must now take to modernise the alliance and ensure its continued success.”

Policing Mr Trump’s four-day visit in July cost more than £14.2 million, figures obtained by the Press Association showed this week.

There were protests against his presence across the UK, as he met the Queen at Windsor Castle, was hosted by Mrs May at her country retreat Chequers, and played golf at one of his resorts in Scotland.

While the proposed visit in December would follow a different schedule, there will be concerns over the cost of securing the controversial leader, with more protests likely.

Mr Trump has repeatedly railed against Nato as he successfully pressured allies to pledge billions more in defence spending.

As recently as Tuesday in Washington, he said in his State of the Union address that the US had been “treated very unfairly by friends of ours, members of Nato” over a period of years.

The summit was announced as Macedonia came a step closer to becoming the alliance’s 30th member when allies signed a key document at a ceremony in Brussels.